This invention relates generally to digital memory systems and more particularly to an electro-mechanically stored and optically retrieved memory system.
Digital memory systems are generally known and heretofore typically have used magnetic disks or tapes as a storage medium. Because the disks are required to rotate and the tape must be wound and unwound to access information, the average time required to access a desired piece of information can be found to be excessively long for a particular application. Recently with the development of optical disk type systems using compact disks, the information is optically stored in binary form; that is, the information is coded as a sequence of optically generated 0's and 1's, which are represented by a sequence comprised of pulses of light. For example, the absence of a pulse represents a digital "0", while the presence of light pulse represents a digital "1". While such apparatus operates very well there is an on-going need and search for economical devices and systems which provide faster access times and increased density of data storage.
It is an object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improvement in digital memories.
It is a further object of the invention to provide an improvement in optical type digital memories.
And it is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an optically retrieved memory having improved access time for retrieving a desired piece of information.